


Gays, Killers, And A Whole Mess

by mysteryskullyatta



Category: Creepypasta - Fandom
Genre: A Bit Cringe On My Part As Well, Caelum (OC) Is Not A Creepypasta, Characters Fall For Each Other Fast, Characters to be added, Edgy, I Have Spicy Plans, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, M/M, Major Original Character(s), Parasite Creepypasta Headcanon, Ships to be added - Freeform, Slow To Update, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Very Slow to Update, Work In Progress, Zander (OC) Is Not A Creepypasta, plot relevant OCs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:01:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24723445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteryskullyatta/pseuds/mysteryskullyatta
Summary: During a long night of obeying murderous whims beyond their control, Violet and Luke only have one more place to go to before the parasite that Violet has is satisfied for the time being. But, the duo accidentally go to an unintended location. They go against killing the tenant, much to the dissatisfaction of Violet’s parasite, and take them to the Slender Mansion to heal their wounds. Essentially a kidnapping.And the unlucky person is forced to live there to ensure the Creepypasta’s secrecy.... There’s absolutely nothing about this that can go wrong.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Kudos: 1





	1. A Deadly Mistake

**Author's Note:**

> If you would like a clearer idea on how the characters look, feel free to check out my Instagram “mysteryskullyatta”!

Caelum was sitting on the side of his bed, his head leaned on his hands. His gaze stared out the window, silently examining the blanket of stars that covered the sky. 

Again, it was one of those nights where he just sat down, his mind somewhere he didn’t know. Thoughts crossed his mind continually, but he didn’t bother to pay any attention to them. 

A soft, tired sigh escaped his mouth as he removed his hands from underneath his head and pushed himself up from the soft mattress. With his bare feet he slowly walked over to his kitchen that was directly connected with his bedroom. In fact, it was in the same room. There was no wall, nothing that separated the bedroom, kitchen and living room from each other. Which is why he called them sleeping, cooking and living area. 

Caelum grabbed something to eat, this time he chose the Doritos he recently had bought purposelessly. After he sat down, again with a sigh, on the chair next to the window of his apartment, placed the bag on the table that stood against the window, too, he began to slowly eat the cheesy chips. Dammit, he felt lifeless. Soulless. Purposeless. Everyday over and over. Nothing— literally nothing happened during the day or night. He has had the same routine for weeks now, and it was bothering him a lot for some reason. He needed change, but he didn’t know how to make any changes in his damn life. Clueless he was indeed.

Violet winced from under her mask, making a disgruntled noise in the process. "Ugh, why couldn't you go second, or at least go in together?" She groaned to her scarred friend, Luke. He frowned in a concerned way, glancing to her briefly as they walked along.

“I didn't know it was that agitated today, I-I'm sorry, Violet." He stuttered out. She groaned again in response, in restraint. 

It was beginning to hurt a little to keep the parasite agitated for this long. She skipped last week, only because she didn't want to go, and thought it would be okay. "Last one, right?" Luke asked her, eager to return back to the Under Realm.

She nodded, "last one." She spoke solemnly.

"We're in position, why hasn't Ben—" Violet spoke through gritted teeth, but cut herself off as they found themselves in front of an apartment door. They were silent for a moment, before Luke spoke up, in a whisper.

"An apartment? I thought they had a house..." Violet shrugged, as he leaned down to lock pick the door.

"We'll know when we see them," she muttered, Luke quickly getting the door to open. He was a little ashamed to be good at that.

Caelum was still staring out of the window when he suddenly heard a noise nearby. He turned his head to his door, where it seemed that voices where coming from.   
He shrugged it off, thinking it was probably either one of his neighbors having nightmares again or his imagination. 

However, not long after the first sound, another was heard. This time no voices. But the sound of a door opening. His door, to be precise.   
“What the—“ he uttered before stopping to talk and realising it was his door that had been opened. He really was certain he locked it earlier.   
“Who’s there?” he then asked towards the door, wanting to know who the hell would barge into his house at this time of the night.

Luke's eyes widened as he heard a voice coming from the apartment. The person inside was awake, there's no doubt about that. And they were immediately onto them. "Fuck," Violet muttered, hearing the voice as well. "Why couldn't the last one be easy...?" She practically groaned, quietly, as Luke stood up straight.

She gently moved him out of the way as she wasted no more time, walking in first, bloodied crowbar in hand. Her mind was quickly being overcome as she had seen the tenant, twitching in the process. Luke walked in quickly after her, and realized quicker than her that this was the wrong place. This wasn't the person that they were cleared for. This was an innocent person that wasn't chosen to be murdered.

"Wait—" He told Violet, closing and locking the door behind him, before placing his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged it off, a little harshly. He looked worriedly back and forth between the two. "That—that's not the right one—"

Okay, this was the moment where the thought crossed Caelum’s mind that he might be the one having nightmares instead of one of his neighbors.   
As he turned to the door, a girl and a boy barged into his apartment, which already made him feel slightly panicked. On top of that, the damn girl — who looked like a psychopath, it gave him chills too — approached him faster than he could realize. And for fuck’s sake, she was holding a crowbar; covered with... was that blood?

Caelum gasped softly, taking a few steps back. The boy then stopped the girl from walking towards him, which made Caelum realize he had been holding his breath the entire time— as usual.   
He glared at the duo with a frozen expression. The wrong one? What did the boy mean? Were they planning to kill someone? Him?  
He still couldn’t speak, the panicked feeling taking control of him and his mouth. He just stared at them, his heart beating. 

They were going to kill him. His blood would be on that damn crowbar within... approximately 5 minutes, depending on how fast of a murderer she was. He would be dead within 5 minutes. Must his life really end miserably like this? He expected his death to be more... peaceful. But being murdered wasn’t that much of a nice death.

Luke saw it in the unlucky stranger's face. He's known how that feels. He can see it so plainly and it pained him. The fear, but mixed with the self reflection. This other male was in shock and disbelief in thinking of what he would've done to deserve this. He didn't deserve any of this. They went to the wrong place, it was their fault, but this stranger, this innocent stranger... they were going to pay for it.

Violet practically sprinted toward the wrong male, going to hold him down with her metal hand as she raised her other arm with her crowbar in it. Luke couldn't stand by and watch it, not this time. The circumstances felt different. He scurried over and grabbed her raised arm. Her head almost did a one hundred eighty degree turn towards him. What came out of her mouth wasn't her voice. It was worse, distorted; downright demonic sounding. "Just let me hit him! Just a little!"  
  


She was a fast killer.   
He’d be dead within seconds.   
Caelum’s heart was beating faster than it had ever done when the girl suddenly leaped towards him, holding him with her — metal? — hand while raising her arm with the blooded weapon.   
He was still thinking it was just a dream. But it felt so real, how could this possibly be a dream? He knew there existed lucid dreams, where you could literally control your own dream... but how hard he tried to let the girl disappear with his mind, that crowbar was coming awfully close to killing him. 

The boy, surprisingly, sprinted towards the girl to try to stop her. What was this demonic voice she spoke with to him as soon as he wanted to stop her from killing Caelum? It gave him cold shivers all over his half naked body.   
Okay— if she was going to hurt him, why a little? Why not just kill him entirely already? He was terrified of suffering for some damn reason. He’d rather die right here than suffer on the ground with wounds for hours— days.   
Panicked, he looked at the girl and the boy, glad to succeed at not freaking out entirely.

The voice that came from Violet even surprised Luke. He hardly ever heard it, especially directed toward him. Still, he couldn't let it deter him. This time, in particular, felt so wrong to him. First of all, he wasn't the one they had planned to go to, and second of all, he seemed so innocent! "He doesn't de-deserve it when we had someone else planned—" he stuttered out, before Violet had cut him off by yanking her arm of his grasp, and pushing him away.

"I don't care! He's seen us, it's too late!" That voice did not belong to her at all.

Then, finally out of Luke's grasp, she took this opportunity to strike down upon the other. It was a blow to the torso, using the bottom, pointed side. More metal colliding with skin. She wasn't paying too much attention to the details of it all. A second one was brought down, in a different spot. Tears were coming down from the bottom of her mask. Luke quickly tried to regain himself. He didn't want this. None of them wanted it. He had to use the last resort.

"Veronica! Stop!" He yelled out to her, desperately. Violet's movements halted.

Caelum had desperately hoped the boy would’ve been able to stop the girl from harming him but before he could convince her to not do so, the metal of the weapon collided with his torso. A shout escaped his mouth when he felt the cold weapon injure his body.   
He stepped back automatically as his hands reached for the wound, right before the girl struck him again with the crowbar. Another scream he screamed, while tears were finding their ways down his cheeks out of pain.

Caelum clenched his teeth, falling down to the floor on his knees and breathing heavily. He looked down at his wounds that were bleeding badly. This sure wasn’t a dream. It was fucking real.  
The tears were running down his face, as he sat there on the floor, in front of a murderer who was probably going to kill him in no time if the boy didn’t succeed to stop her from doing so. Dammit, why him? he thought as he closed his eyes in pain.  
  


"Please, please, ple—please Veronica, stop—stop..." Luke begged, knowing exactly what he was doing. He was technically triggering her of past memories, but it was the only nonviolent way that he could do to stop her. He couldn't bring himself to hurt his friend's body, it was just that she wasn't in control. This felt so different, too different not to recognize. He isn't supposed to die.

Violet was frozen, aside from her heavy breathing, staring down at her unexpected victim. "Why... FUCK!" Her voice was contorting between her normal and the previous. He was getting to her, it was working.

"Veronica, it's just like what you said, he didn't deserve it and neither does he—" She cut him off, "stop—!! Call Ben, we need to leave, take him with us, just—just stop, I didn't... I don't mean..." Luke took this as a good sign, and quickly pulled out what looked to be a phone out of his pocket. He was frantically tapping in a sort of patterned way, and went over to them. He was apologizing profusely, gently placing his hand on Violet's arm, and the other on the stranger's shoulder.

"I'm—I'm sorry, I'm so—sorry, I'm so, so sorry—" He was cut off as suddenly they were in a different room, a different house even, a whole other realm. They were in the front, main room of the Slender Mansion. And they weren't alone.

Caelum was feeling confused beside feeling the immense pain of his wounds. He groaned softly as the two spoke words he wasn’t able to actually hear. The pain on his chest, his torso, it was burning like a damn fire on his skin.   
Who were these people?  
The boy had somehow been able to calm down the girl who had injured him seriously, and was now typing on what should be looking like a phone. He had no idea what they were saying, deafened by the burning injuries and the pain that came with it. 

Caelum gazed up to the girl. What was wrong with her? It was as if she was been controlled by some demonic creature...  
Before actually being able to realize what the boy was doing by laying his hands on his own shoulder and the girl’s, he heard him apologizing before they disappeared into the darkness.   
He closed his eyes, clenching his teeth out of pain. When opening his eyes again, his heart skipped a beat for one brief moment. Where were they? It was dark, immensely dark. Darker than the dark he had known... until now.  
  


"Took you long enough—wait, what's happening?" Up came another voice, neither of which came from Violet or Luke. It was the friend that had brought him there, Ben. The blonde, Link-lookalike seemed to have been waiting for him. But they weren't expecting them to bring a third person.

"Grab the first aid kit!!" Violet practically shouted to him, wincing from under her mask.

"Okay, jeez—" Ben sputtered worriedly, before hurrying to the distant cabinet, which contained a rather hefty first aid kit. They were usually ready for when others were injured, but unfortunately none of the ones who usually tended to the wounds were there. 

"What's wrong—?" A softer, much more concerned, yet innocent voice came from the stairs. Zander peeked his head out and saw the scene amongst them. "Oh my gosh!"

Shit, both Violet and Luke forgot Zander was coming over to hang out. "Zander, don't—" Violet tried, but Luke interrupted her.

"Perfect! Zander, do you know how to treat wounds?" He asked quickly.

"Yes..." he uttered out uneasily, hurrying down the stairs toward them. Ben shoved him the first aid kit, and Zander nervously took it.

"Good. Violet, come with me, you're going into time out." Ben said as he grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the room.

"But—!" She again tried, but was interrupted, by Ben.

"Nope! Keep your destructive nature away..." 

Their voices faded away as they left, leaving Zander and Luke with the stranger. "Wait—quick, we need to stop the bleeding!" Zander exclaimed, quickly kneeling down as he opened the med kit at his side. He wrapped his closest arm around the stranger from his back gingerly, while firmly trying to hold his hand over the wounds. "Hey, if you can hear me—I'm going to try my best to help you, I'll... fix it up before you know it." Zander spoke softly, and he hoped that the male heard him. "Luke, can you get me a wet washcloth?" He asked hurriedly.

"Y—yes!" Luke agreed, hurrying off to get one.  
  


Caelum again groaned in pain, as a stranger appeared out of the darkness he was shrouded in. His mind was racing, thinking countless things that he couldn’t remember the second they left his mind.   
He couldn’t hear anything they were saying, but he did know they were slightly panicking. Over him? Why? And why was his sight becoming blurry suddenly? Had they... had they given him something that would pass him out..?

Caelum coughed painfully loud while another person showed up, and the other duo left the area. He didn’t pay any attention to them, the pain of his wounds overwhelming him. Dammit, they were burning as hot as hell.   
He couldn’t see what the blonde boy was holding, his sight was slowly darkening and his eyes were closing. He murmured some inaudible words.   
The arm of the second stranger surrounded his chest and immediately Caelum wanted to stop him from doing whatever he was planning to do. Was he intending to torture him? Slowly kill him? He wanted to scream, but no words were coming out of his mouth. Let go of me, was now the only thing he was thinking.  
  


Zander felt so worried. "What on earth happened...?" He muttered out loud, knowing that at the moment it couldn't be answered since he was alone with this barely conscious stranger. "Gosh, I hope I can help..." his thoughts were rampant, but he did his best to stay calm at this moment. He continued applying pressure to the wounds while he waited for Luke, but was slightly worried to press too hard and cause more pain. It was for the sake of his safety, he was sure he wouldn't mind in the long run.

Luke had finally come in with a wet washcloth and handed it to Zander. "Thank you," he told him simply, taking the washcloth and cleaning the blood off with it. "Get some of that antibiotic stuff in there for me as well, please," he told Luke calmly, as he gently dabbed the blood away, as rubbing would probably cause more irritation. Luke, while visibly freaking out on the inside, shakily grabbed it along with those special wipes. Once the wounds were as clean as they could get, he took the antibiotic material from his friend and applied a small layer over the wounds. Please, please don't sting... He knew that the injured male was most likely going to pass out, but there wasn't much that he knew to to about that. What mattered at the moment were his injuries, so that he could wake up later. Now that his hands were free, he grabbed the bandages himself, and some of the paper tape inside, and gently applied it over the wounds, but still quickly. Zander sighed. "That should do it," he spoke, but still sounded worried.

Caelum was slowly losing consciousness, which could be a good thing. He wouldn’t notice it when they would kill him.   
It might become a peaceful death after all... Were they actually planning on killing him? From what he could see, they were holding bandages instead of blades. Or maybe that was just him having his hopes up. 

As soon as a cold, painful substance was applied to his wounds, Caelum couldn’t help but scream out in pain. Dammit, that hurt as hell, what the hell were they doing to him?!  
He did not see they were treating his wounds, he could not see their faces, as everything slowly began to fade away.   
He felt them putting the bandages on his wounds, the pain from the wounds and the antibiotics burning on his skin, and then it was silent. Black, and silent.  
  


Zander winced when the injured male screamed in pain. God, whoever this was, didn't deserve this much pain. He hoped silently that the wounds didn't need stitches, so that they could be healed as they were. He really hated seeing people in pain, especially if he was the one bringing it. It wasn't like he could help it, he was trying to heal this person. He could take some numbing medicine once he regains consciousness, so maybe that could help. Somehow, it was slightly relieving that he lost consciousness, so that he'd have less time in pain. He closed the first aid kit, but he'd know that they'd need it for redressing the bandages. The medicine was probably elsewhere, with other of the sort.

After a moment, Zander slid his other free arm under the unconscious stranger's legs, and lifted them up slowly. "Oh gosh, it's harder to carry people than I thought," he chuckled, having trouble with holding him. It wasn't as if weight was a problem, Zander was just a physically weak person in general, so it was hard to lift things.

"D-Do you... need any help?" Luke asked nervously, and Zander quickly shook his head. "No, it's fine, don't worry—" he beamed, carrying the unconscious form over towards the rather large couch. Zander laid him down onto it, flat on his back, but made sure to place a pillow under his head. He focused on him worriedly, before sighing. "Okay, Luke... what happened?" He asked calmly, returning his gaze to his consciousness companion.

"I... Violet, she... We went to the wrong place, and Violet, she just—she just lost control—her... thing was still unsatisfied, and in the process..." He trailed off, gazing sorrowfully to the unconscious male. Zander was... shocked. He knew of their unorthodox practices, but not like this. Not when it came in his face. "I had to br-bring back past memories to stop her..." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"No, no, Luke—" Zander's eyes widened worriedly for a moment. "It's okay, you did your best, that's more than anyone could ask for," Zander's voice was soothing, which made Luke smile softly.

"Thank you," he uttered. "I'm gonna go check up on Violet now, I'm sorry our friend hangout got so crazy."

Zander waved dismissively. "Oh, that's fine, no need for an apology! We can't exactly change much about it anyways." He attempted to reassure, flashing a partially sad smile to him momentarily.

"Right," he spoke simply before exiting the room, looking for his friend. Zander took this time to wash his hands quickly, but return back to the main room. He kept close by the injured male, worried about him, but also curious as to when he would regain consciousness.


	2. Explanations & Relations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caelum wakes up very confused and looking for answers. Luke does his best to give him the answers he wants, but Zander and Caelum get a bit distracted.

Blinking against the light when he opened his eyes slowly, Caelum let out a small, brief groan. His entire body hurt like hell, although he was feeling slightly... better?  
They didn’t murder him? He passed out— what happened while he was unconscious? Did they do anything to him?  
He wanted to sit, but immediately fell back onto the couch when a painful strike went through his body. 

His head turned towards the figure that was sitting nearby him. Caelum examined them, narrowing his eyes against the light. Has it been this light before? Did they bring him somewhere else?   
Millions of questions were occupying his confused mind, as he tried to slowly sit once again. It went okay this time, although it still hurt.   
When he gazed down his torso, he noticed the bandages applied to his wounds. They — who, actually? — bandaged him? Why-? His gaze went quickly towards the person accompanying him, as he tilted his head slightly while frowning. He couldn’t remember exactly what happened, but he knew one of them injured him badly. Then why did they treat his wounds?  
  


Zander immediately perked up as soon as he noticed the once unconscious person sitting up. A smile cracked open on his face on impulse at the sight. "You're awake, thank goodness! I was starting to worry I'd look creepy waiting for you to wake up for a long amount of time." He joked slightly, but was actually being truthful. Those blows to his torso looked... bad, and painful. It almost looked like the strikes were only to cause pain, which... worried him.

"Be careful not to overwork yourself," he spoke gently, almost as if it was the caring voice of a friend. "I can, ah—give you some painkillers as well, if you can trust me." He pointed out the painkiller bottle in his hand by lifting it, to show it to him. "Luke handed them to me when he checked in on me one time," he added, to explain where he got them.  
  


The stranger was surprisingly... kind to him, that Caelum almost started to think that he might be hiding something.   
But the way he showed how he cared about him somehow made him feel more comfortable after all that had happened, thus he decided that he could trust him.   
Caelum smiled softly, although his smile was weak from the pain, at him, glad that he had been here the entire time. It felt safe somehow. 

Ah- painkillers. Yes, he’d love to have those right now. But he wasn’t sure if it would be safe. Someone from here did attempt to kill him — or at least injure him badly — in the end.   
However, the look of the boy’s face made him feel slightly more safe and he felt like he could trust him.   
Caelum nodded slowly, ”it’s fine,” he managed to utter, although the talking hurt. He didn’t know who Luke was, but he was glad that he and this person were taking care of him despite what happened.

He trusted him...? Zander grinned happily with this revelation. Wait—oh gosh, he probably shouldn't behave in such a gleeful way. He'd probably look weird. The other was still in pain even, he shouldn't get distracted. Even if he was... shirtless... and had his hands there—no! No. Stop being distracted and weird, Zander.

"Oh, good!" He told him enthusiastically, opening the bottle, and taking one of the pills out. "You can take another if it's still painful, but too much is not exactly a good thing," he chuckled briefly, reaching for the glass of water next to him. "Also, lots of water would definitely be a good thing for you, so I'd be happy to get you more water if you drink all of what you have." He added, trying to be as hospitable as possible in a home that isn't his, and handing the male the pill and the glass of water. "Is it alright if I ask your name?" He asked curiously. "You don't have to if it hurts, though!" He added quickly. The last thing he wanted was for him to ensue more pain.  
  


Caelum was glad the stranger was taking care of him so nicely. It made him smile softly and he felt slightly better just by his presence.   
He took the glass of water and the pill from the male and felt the soft touch of his hand as he did.   
He took the pill along with the water and laid back down, groaning softly when he moved his muscles, focusing his gaze on the ceiling. 

“Caelum,” he said with a quiet voice, trying not to talk in a way that would hurt him. He slowly turned his head towards the male, trying to smile gently. “Thank you for taking care of me... uh-“ he stopped once he realized he didn’t even know the boy’s name. A soft scoff escaped his mouth, which made him clench his teeth because of the pain the soft laugh caused. He hoped the male would understand his indirect question for his name.  
  


Zander felt satisfied to now know the name of the person in front of him. He felt a little rude just thinking of them as 'stranger'. He's never heard the name Caelum before, though... But it was a nice name. He liked it. "There's no need to thank me, Caelum, I'm glad to help." He giggled warmly, still appreciating the thanks. "It's Zander," he added, "my name, that is."

"The painkillers should kick in soon, it'll feel better before you know it," he told him, feeling a little upset at the inner workings of the body not to have painkillers live to their purpose earlier in time. Footsteps then soon heard approaching he and Caelum, those of which that were descending down the stairs. Luke could then be seen, at least by Zander, was the one who belonged to those footsteps.

"Z-Zander, do you need anything—?" He was heard to ask. Zander's gaze went towards him. "Oh, Luke! Perfect timing! Caelum just woke up!" Zander beamed. "Caelum...?" He could only assume that was the newest guest's name.

Caelum truly appreciated the hospitality of Zander, he was heartwarming and he liked his presence.   
He nodded when he told him the painkillers should start working soon, not feeling energized enough to say something more to him. While he let out a brief sigh, he realized how tired he suddenly was. Exhausted, that was how he was feeling. A lot had happened all of a sudden, plus, everything happened in a rush so he still had to come to the realization that he had almost been killed. 

Caelum’s gaze went to the boy from before who came down the stairs, giving him an attempted smile.   
Suddenly, he wanted to know about what happened and why. Thousands of questions filled his mind, which almost caused him to get a severe headache. He tried to sit, slowly, folding his hands together and staring down.   
“Can- can you-“ he started to say, but immediately stopped once he noticed how much energy it cost him to speak. All he did was let out a soft sigh.  
  


Only now did Zander realize how much what had happened had taken out of Caelum. Seemingly, he acted so drained. Nothing had reached his throat and yet it hurt for him to speak. It... pained him. Why on earth was Violet so quick to lose control...? Maybe it wouldn't be best for her to see him. At least not yet.

Luke had came to both Caelum and Zander's sides. He was also concerned, but happy wasn't the permanent sort of passed out. Unfortunately, he couldn't exactly tell what Caelum was asking. "I'm sorry, I don't follow," he apologized. "I'm also really, really sorry about what happened... b-before." His voice sounded as if he felt guilty, which he did. "It wasn't supposed to..." he trailed off. "It was purely accidental circumstance. A horrible one, but still accidental." Zander explained, not wanting Luke to feel guilty. "We could... elaborate, if you would like?" He asked Caelum. "But if you're too tired, we don't exactly—" he cut himself off. He had no idea how to word this. He didn't even know much of it.

Why did speaking even hurt?   
Was it his fatigue? Exhaustion shouldn’t cause pain. Caelum didn’t know. He didn’t know what the heck was going on and if he was dreaming or not. But one thing was for sure; he had no idea who these people were and what they were hiding.   
Caelum looked at the boy — whose name was Luke? — that stood next to Zander and talked to him, apologizing for what happened.   
An accident, Zander said. It for sure had not looked like an accident. The girl seemed to really want to kill him back then.   
Slowly he started to remember what exactly had happened, letting out a small groan. Caelum had never felt this confused, lost and chaotic before. He needed answers if he didn’t want to go mad. 

Caelum smiled softly at Luke and Zander and nodded slowly to let them both know it was alright. Although he wasn’t sure if everything was okay, he didn’t want to concern them. Especially Luke looked like someone who could worry all night over something.  
He then nodded when Zander asked him if they could elaborate. Yes, yes he wanted them to. He started to feel better already thanks to the painkillers, which made it possible for him to listen to what the two had to explain.  
  


Zander immediately grew concerned for Caelum once he groaned. Did something happen? But, his worries slowly melted away when Caelum smiled at him. He had a nice smile... Zander couldn't help but flash a small smile back. Once Caelum had confirmed that he wanted them to elaborate, Zander quickly turned to Luke to explain. "Luke, this is your department, I don't know much about this." He chuckled nervously. He would help explain if he did know, since Luke almost seemed like he was on the brink of crying a moment ago, but unfortunately he really didn't know too much about the whole Creepypasta situation. "R-Right, um... where do I begin..." Luke started, taking a moment to think.

"So, we—e-excluding Zander—kind of, um... oh boy I'm going to sound crazy for this—" He had a bit of trouble explaining, but only because he never really had to find the words to explain to others as to the reason why they're sort of... unpredictable. "We have this thing inside of our head—we call it a parasite—that sometimes makes us lose an-any and all control of ourselves and makes us become... something else." He spoke quickly, only because he was nervous to being judged about it, considering he admitted to having it too. Zander listened intently, partially because he didn't want to be rude, and also because he hasn't really had it explained to him before. "That's what happened to my friend, from before." Luke had a faraway and upset look in his eyes, forcing him to remember the events of before. "We were supposed to go to a different home—some lowlife scumbag who no one really cared for—but instead we ended up... a-at your door. Something must've happened with Ben, but we weren't supposed to come to you, we stupidly went inside anyways, and Violet—..." His voice cracked, so he stopped himself there. Zander frowned, and glanced over to Caelum, to see his reaction.  
  


Caelum couldn’t help but find Zander’s smile comforting and in some way, it made him feel better for a moment.   
He noticed it was hard for Luke to explain the situation and the things they were ‘hiding’. It made him somehow feel bad for a moment because he didn’t want to force Luke to tell him something he actually didn’t want to share.   
However, he managed to find the right words in the end, while Caelum listened carefully.   
A parasite.   
At the thought of it, Caelum frowned, but he didn’t say a word. It was quite surprising to hear this parasite was the cause of him being injured, and in some kind of way it even was unbelievable.   
But, Caelum felt like Luke was telling him the truth, and thus accepted it. 

Ah, Violet. That was the girl’s name. He had thought of her as a psychopath until now, now that he knew the reason for her murderous behavior.   
It all started to become clear slowly. The reason why she wanted to hurt — or kill — him, why they were out at night to kill.   
“How-,” Caelum started to talk, noticing the painkillers were working. “This thing— the parasite,” he continued to talk carefully, not wanting to use all of his energy at once so that he would immediately feel exhausted again,”does it make you... kill people?” His voice was soft and calm; he didn’t want Luke or Zander to think he wasn’t believing him or that he found it ridiculous or weird. Because he didn’t think it was at all. In some odd way, it made sense to him.

At first, Luke was anxious about having to tell Caelum about the parasite. It would probably be tense enough that they can't let him leave, but it could absolve any way of him trusting them. And he really didn't want anymore tension here than there already could be. But, seeing as Caelum was curious, it relieved him, and it hopefully meant that he still trusted them. Zander, on the other hand, felt not only relieved, but downright gleeful that Caelum still trusted them. They could definitely get along.

"Oh, that, uh..." Luke didn't know how to word it without making it sound like a sentient being. "I think it's because... it has a desire to. L-Like it wants to. With it basically taking complete physical control over our bodies, our way of control is numbed, so w-we can't... stop it ourselves." He explained, hopefully explaining it clearly enough to still understand. He was always worried about not doing that.

"But it's not like it happens too randomly!" Zander attempted to reassure, "I think they can sense when it's going to happen well beforehand so they leave to make sure they don't hurt their friends." He smiled briefly, and Luke nodded in confirmation.

Caelum listened calmly to Luke’s words in silence. He made sure he wouldn’t miss a single thing, afraid for any misunderstandings. He nodded while the boy was explaining as a sign that he understood what he was saying.   
“So they have their own... will,” he said, gazing down at the ground to repeat his words in his head to make sure he understood.   
“And is there— ...someone who is behind it all?” He then asked, looking at Luke while tilting his head slightly and narrowing his eyes, thinking. 

Caelum was glad Zander reassured him that the parasite’s urge to kill didn’t happen randomly, with Luke nodding in confirmation.   
He hoped they knew that he believed them and didn’t think it was weird at all.   
Today’s science was advanced after all, so it didn’t even surprise him that much.   
He liked how helpful Zander was to both him and Luke, and Caelum really admired that. He hoped he would be able to spend more time with him, to be able to get to know him.

It was nice to have someone not have Caelum or Zander interrupt his spiel. Hell, it was actually his pet peeve when people did that. It relaxed him just a bit. Zander, on the other hand, felt a little... conflicted, at the moment. He knew that this was a serious time and in all honesty, he hated how it was for Luke, Violet, and the others like them. But, he kept finding himself getting brought back up by Caelum—like he ever went down—and it was really weird for him to feel. Caelum was being curious, actually displaying active listening... That made Zander... curious about him. He wanted to know more. The rest of him, mentally wise. Or was it emotionally...?

Luke nodded in affirmation once Caelum stated that they had their own will—he knew that personally—but seemed visibly perplexed at his next question. "Oh, I..." Could there be someone behind it? "To be honest, we never thought of a-an idea like that, so we don't really know..." Who, or what could it be? The thought scared him. He seemed visibly anxious about it.

"Thinking about it now, though, you could be on to something, Caelum," Zander nodded slowly, giving Caelum's question thought and consideration. "I think it never all happens at the same time though, so there could but also couldn't be..." he added, almost creating a whole conspiracy theory about it.

"I-I'm sure there's no need to worry about it!" Luke sputtered out nervously.

While Caelum was listening to Luke’s response, his gaze went to Zander a few times, not sure why he was doing it. Gosh— it was quite embarrassing even. He just desperately hoped Zander wouldn’t notice him looking back and forth between him and Luke.   
However, he had this feeling he wasn’t familiar with. This urge to sit with him and just... talk. He seemed like someone he would definitely become friends with. The softness and calmness of his appearance made him feel comfortable and safe around him. 

When Zander spoke, his eyes went to his face and he then had the chance to examine him better although still listening to his words.   
Zander gave him this... delighted feeling once he said Caelum might be on to something. He felt... glad to be of help.   
Luke’s nervous response made him narrow his eyes for a second. Did he know more? Or was he genuinely nervous about it?  
“I mean— there must be something who... placed the parasite into your heads, r—right?” He then asked carefully, stuttering slightly.  
  


Zander had felt eyes on him, but he had gotten used to it in a partially neutral way. But this time, the feel of it had... felt different. It made him feel as if he could melt. In a good way, of course. It felt nice... yet a bit flustering. Luke was oblivious to this part of the situation, and Zander honestly wouldn't have it any other way. Looking at Caelum—gosh, it was even embarrassing to him in his mind—there's no way you could get a crush on someone so early into meeting them, right? ... Right?! Maybe it was just a curious crush, just the eager desire to talk one on one and know more about him... Please, don't ruin it Zander.

"Of course, we weren't born with it," Luke answered Caelum's question quickly, trying to reassure and not sound sarcastic. "If there was the possibility that it was d-deliberately placed by someone, I could only assume it'd be by some demon, but..." He trailed off, as Zander snapped back to reality. He can't look too obvious that he was thinking about weird things. "I know of something more powerful, who is a bit of a Chaotic Neutral, and h-happens to be the overseer of this realm..." Luke piped up, but only to trail off again. He was visibly terrified of this revelation. "I really hope it isn't true," he muttered. Zander attempted to rack his brain to find some way of reassurance.

"It couldn't be that bad, right? I mean, it wouldn't be like some too evil thing is controlling you. Maybe there's still inner reason...?" He did his best, he really did.

When Caelum noticed Zander looking at him too, it made him somehow feel... happy? He wasn’t sure what he was doing to him but, he knew he liked the feeling Zander gave him.   
Was it love? The thought of it crossed his mind briefly, and he desperately hoped his cheeks hasn’t turned red because of it. No— it wasn’t love... was it? He barely even knew him, they had only just met! But still, he found comfort in his presence and his eyes— No, not now, Caelum. 

It was hard for Caelum to follow Luke’s words as he spoke, mostly because of his mind drifting off to Zander — why even? — and because Luke himself was using too much terms that confused him.   
Demon? Chaotic Neutral? Overseer? Realm? It made him feel dizzy, especially since he still wasn’t feeling well due to his wounds.   
Caelum frowned, hoping Luke would notice his confusion, and then Zander started to speak and reassured Luke that it probably wasn’t that bad. How bad?   
However, it was admirable— did he just think that? — how Zander stayed positive in such a stressful situation. Caelum liked his positivity and inside, it made him smile. If it wouldn’t be such a serious moment, he would’ve smiled physically.  
  


Luke had realized a little too late that he had brought a bunch of terms to the table that had not yet been discussed. That was his bad, he'll take that, it was just that he was in a distressed state and he felt a little more to the point. Zander hadn't known too much about these things, but it was a little hard for him to pay attention, considering he was a little distracted. Why did Caelum have to be really attractive too—wait... wait what. Zander, stop, don't go in too deep, who knows what will happen. His cheeks felt warm too, noo, now's not the time...

Luke had seen the confusion in Caelum's expression, and apologized for it. "R-Right, sorry. I need to explain more first. Yes, I'm most likely sure demons exist." He started off. "I mean, with this p-parasite, my friends and I aren't all that human anymore either," he added, shrugging. "And I say overseer, but it's more like leader. This being, Zalgo, is the leader of this realm." Right, the Under Realm. He shouldn't treat it like Caelum knew that either. "This realm is... n-not the one that you, and other humans live on. The monsters live here, to put it simply." He chuckled nervously, hoping to not freak him out. "It's not that hard to go back and forth, a-and it's not too different from your realm, but..." He trailed off, not sure how to finish his sentence.

"This Zalgo... they don't sound that bad," Zander started, seeing as he watches over the inhabitants of this realm, not all may be bad, even if they're monsters. "Why do they seem scary to you?" He asked cautiously, and Luke averted his gaze.

"Well, he's... demon-like," he began twiddling his thumbs.

Caelum really wanted to lay attention to what Luke was saying but, slowly he got more and more distracted by Zander. Why— why was he feeling nervous all of a sudden? Please, he thought desperately, do not let my cheeks turn red now... it’d be so embarrassing if it would happen.  
But still— he couldn’t help it. He had to admit that he was quite attractive... no— what was he thinking? Gosh— he was sure his entire face was red right now. Nervously, Caelum averted his gaze to make sure none of them noticed his blushing face. 

Caelum was surprised he still managed to know what Luke had said, and nodded as a sign that he understood what he was explaining. It all sounded quite supernatural and impossible but, from what he has seen and what happened to him tonight, nothing really seemed what it used to look like anymore.   
“I see,” Caelum said after having quickly glanced over at Zander once again. Gosh— why couldn’t he stop doing that?   
“A demon-like creature...” he repeated Luke’s words while thinking. “And this Zalgo is the potential ‘thing’ behind the parasites..?” He asked carefully.  
  


Still entirely oblivious to the definitely not platonic tension between Zander and Caelum, it began to be increasingly hard for Luke deny that if there was someone behind their parasites, the only one capable would be Zalgo. It was almost terrifying to think of. Maybe they never thought about it for a reason... Did he put himself, Zander, and Caelum in danger from talking about this...? Oh god, he really messed up, again... Zander, on the other hand... was still in other places. Oh, Caelum, how quickly you boggled his mind... and yet there was so much more to find out about you. 

Zander had noticed Caelum's red face. He couldn't help it, given the amount of side glances he's given Caelum. Though, assuming that his body temperature went up, he immediately had gotten worried, since Caelum was already injured and all. "Wait, Caelum, do you feel warm? Do you you have a fever?" Zander spoke up, after he did, in a concerned voice, moving so he could take a seat next to Caelum. His face felt warmer as he gently moved one of his hands over Caelum's forehead.

Luke glanced down at them, and then finally... it clicked. "Ohh," he muttered quietly, then attempted to quickly make it seem like he didn't notice and looked away. "I—yes, I mean, he's the only one I could think of that's powerful enough, and—and I guess it would make sense..." He explained his reasoning. "H-He is pretty powerful, after all..." he added, a little quietly.

The moment Caelum realized Zander had noticed him blushing all over his face, a panicking feeling overwhelmed him. Subconsciously, he held his breath as he waited for him to say anything about it. What would he think of him now? As some kind of freak that blushes all the time or something? Maybe Zander knew what he was thinking just by looking at his face. Dammit, he cursed himself internally.   
Then he heard Zander’s voice speaking at a worried tone, asking if he was feeling warm and if he had a fever. Heck yeah he was feeling warm but— not because he had a fever or something. Unless being in love was— no, Caelum, he shushed himself, embarrassed of his own thoughts. He wasn’t in love— it was just this strange urge to get to know Zander. To talk with him, befriend him. He couldn’t really explain it. 

Before he knew it, Zander had placed himself next to him, being closer than before to him. With the male being so close to him and almost being able to feel his breath upon his skin, Caelum’s heart started to beat faster without himself noticing.   
The next moment Zander’s hand gently touched his forehead to check if he indeed had a fever. The soft, caring touch of his hand made Caelum’s heart jump briefly, his cheeks again turning red. Why did Zander’s touch almost made him melt?  
He heard Luke continuing to talk about the demonic being, but this time he wasn’t able to fully hear it. His mind had drifted off to Zander, who was sitting extremely close to him. And for some kind of reason, he liked it but at the same time it made him really nervous.   
Caelum sat there, his face covered with a red color and a fast beating heart. He stared to his hands, too nervous to look Zander in the eye.  
  


Even though Zander tried to ignore it, the closeness, the physical contact... he was pretty sure his face was as red as Caelum's. Oh gosh, he really didn't want to move away, he loved being this close to him... he might be discomforting him, though. And the last thing he wanted to do was discomfort him. How he longed to stay with him, to talk with him... To... to be with—Zander, no! Everything else may be melting away to him, but he shouldn't be thinking so fast on this. He'd just be creepy! And that'd ruin everything, creepy just isn't who he wants to be.

A smile cracked open on Luke's face. The scene before him looked absolutely precious, in his opinion. They'd better be glad Violet isn't in the room right now, otherwise she'd never live it down. Only if she was in a different mood than she was currently, though... Then again, it'd probably cheer her up, now that he thought about it. Zander's touch lingered for a moment, before he quickly pulled his hand away. He was able to look at Caelum more closely like this, and it was indeed a really nice sight to see. "You look really pretty—" he had said without thinking, then quickly tried to avert upon realizing. "I mean red! You look red." His voice fluctuated slightly upon saying that. Way to go, Zander. "Sorry, you probably weren't comfortable with me touching you and I didn't even ask, I just kind of thought it would be okay after, you know, putting the bandages and stuff on you—but I realize that's a different scenario and I probably should've asked." He rambled on, his voice fast. He avoided looking at Caelum for the most of it, but then returned his gaze to him slowly. Luke had to hold down any chuckling.  
  


Caelum managed to quickly glance over at Zander, only to notice his face had turned red too. A nervous smile appeared on his face and he couldn’t help but let a soft chuckle escape his mouth. He liked it when Zander blushed, it made him look so sweet— ...did he just think that..? Gosh, this was really becoming weird.   
Caelum hoped he didn’t make Zander feel uncomfortable in any way by sitting next to him, or made him feel awkward in any other way. He didn’t want him to think he was weird or something— He for sure would be devastated if Zander thought so. 

When Zander pulled back his hand from his forehead, for a moment it felt oddly cold. It was this urge that suddenly overwhelmed him as soon as Zander’s hand left his forehead, this urge to touch— No! What was he even thinking? They just met and... Zander would definitely think he was weird if he knew what he was feeling. Why couldn’t his mind just stop thinking these weird things? Why wouldn’t his heart stop beating so loud with Zander sitting next to him?  
It didn’t last long before he heard Zander’s voice, softly saying that he looked pretty— or was it just his imagination? Probably. Gosh, he really was going crazy!  
But then Zander pointed out to him that he looked red, and immediately Caelum’s hand covered his own cheeks, ashamed of his red face while chuckling his awkwardness away.   
“Oh— yeah,” he mumbled, still feeling flattered by what Zander said before. Did he mean it or, did he really mean to mention his red face? He averted his eyes, noticing Luke’s smile.   
Wait a second, did that mean something? Why was he smiling at the two sitting next to each other..?  
  


Oh my gosh, the way Caelum laughed... Zander had to hold himself back from swooning. And his smile too, so mesmerizing... God, Zander! What did you just think about not wanting to be creepy?! Just as long as you don't be too obvious about it, it'll be fine, right? Because at this rate, he probably won't be able to stop thinking like this. Hopefully Caelum would be able to forgive him... Okay, and covering his own cheeks like that was literally the cutest thing Zander had ever seen. There was no doubt about it, he thought as a giddy smile made its way onto his face. He suddenly wanted... wanted to Caelum about what he was thinking... what he was feeling—no, no, he couldn't. He was afraid. Afraid of weirding him out, afraid of... rejection. They had only just met after all, who thinks this way about a person they just met? He'll keep it inside... for now.

"There's no need to hide your cheeks like that," Zander tried to reassure, "no doubt I'm the same way." He giggled nervously, avoiding dropping his gaze down, to Caelum's bare chest... Oh god, he's in too deep. "I didn't mean to embarrass you, I just panicked," he explained, shrugging slightly in the process. How was he being this honest right now? He has to stop, stop before it's too late...

Luke noticed that Caelum caught him smiling. Damn it, he looks creepy now. He should go now and give them some alone time. "I—I'm gonna leave you two to yourselves, Violet probably needs me." He made up an excuse, knowing Violet was most likely doing better now. Either way, it was his excuse, and he used it to quickly abscond.

Zander's eyes widened, "But, Luke—" he tried, turning to where he was to try to get his attention, but he was already gone.

Oh boy.


	3. Gay Panic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zander and Caelum get some time alone, and try their best not to be awkward.
> 
> They fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it’s too sweet for you, you may skip past this chapter, I will not judge.

Zander's eyes widened, "But, Luke—" he tried, turning to where he was to try to get his attention, but he was already gone. Oh boy. His gaze darted back to Caelum, face completely flustered. "Uh... hi," he greeted Caelum in a flustered manner, a shy smile growing.  
  


Damn, it was too cute for Caelum to handle when Zander told him that he panicked when his face had turned red. Did that mean.. he cared about him? Gosh, the thought of Zander worrying about him made him feel extremely delightful... What was he even thinking? Was he going crazy or falling in love?   
All of a sudden Caelum felt ashamed for not wearing a shirt, and he looked away, to the ground to hide his red face. Darnit, he felt so naked right now. He wanted to ask for a shirt, but he was way, way too awkward for that and the thought of it made him feel even more uncomfortable. 

Then, before he could really realize what Luke was saying and being able to listen to his words, he had left Caelum and Zander alone to talk. His heart was beating louder than before and his hands started to feel sweaty. Why— why was he feeling nervous now? His eyes went from right to left, not knowing what to focus on because his mind was racing.   
“H-hi,” he whispered with a soft voice, breathing fast because of the nervousness that was overwhelming him. His gaze went down, as he felt his cheeks turning red.   
He wanted to speak his mind, the feelings that Zander gave him, and ask him if he felt the same— but it felt weird. He was afraid that Zander might think he was some weirdo, or maybe he would think that he was some creep. Thus, he stayed quiet, waiting for Zander to continue their conversation.  
  


How quickly one could care for another... Zander found that out now. He felt such an immediate infatuation towards Caelum, and it hasn't even been an hour of talking! Something about him just... fascinates him, mesmerizes him. He says something, but in reality he means everything. No one before had made him this flustered to be near, not even any previous crushes. Caelum was different. He was so quick to care for him, and he was already being so nice... this was quite the infatuation to reckon with. It drove him crazy, in the best way possible. He really should be saying this all to Caelum, to profess it so seamlessly... But it was too soon, Caelum probably wouldn't even return such feelings. But the way he blushed...

Oh no. He seemed uncomfortable. What was wrong? Sure, yes, he was being absolutely adorable still, but Zander could tell... Oh, right! A shirt... he thought as he glanced down at Caelum's chest. A bad idea, if he didn't want to make it obvious that he was technically checking him out. His cheeks flared, and he quickly looked away. "Here, you can... you can use my sweater," he offered as he took his large red sweater and lifted it over his head. He had a plain white shirt underneath, but it mostly went up with his sweater as he pulled it up. With his sweater off, he very quickly and in a flustered way pulled his shirt back down. "Don't worry, it's not itchy or anything," he flashed a sweet, holding his sweater out to Caelum. "I just like the extra layer," he added, chuckling briefly, and gazing at the others face. He had a really pretty face...  
  


Caelum had to bite his lip to prevent himself from squeaking out of excitement when Zander offered his sweater. Why did that even made him feel excited? It just— it was cute how Zander was so sweet and caring to him... and his handsome face made it even better...— he caught himself thinking these things with a blush appearing on his face, although not long after that, his face had turned red entirely when Zander took off his sweater for real.   
Of course, he couldn’t help but look at him as he did. His shirt slightly went up along with his red sweater and at the sight of his skin, Caelum quickly averted his gaze and coughed softly out of embarrassment for staring at him while Zander pulled down his shirt quickly. Damn— what would he be thinking of him! He usually didn’t stare at people, but what if he made Zander think he did? Gosh— his own thoughts were killing him. 

Zander handed the sweater to him and he took it from his hands with a nervous yet soft smile. He nodded when he reassured him that the piece of clothing wasn’t itchy before lifting it over his head and pulling it down.   
The warmth of Zander’s body had warmed his sweater, which caused Caelum to immediately feel warm and comfy in it. He pulled up his legs, leaning his head on his knees.   
He turned his head towards Zander and flashed a smile at his pretty face.   
“Thank you,” Caelum thanked the male who was still sitting next to him, looking him into his eyes. Oh— they were like diamonds, like shining stars in the darkness... it was easy for him to get lost in them.   
Now that Caelum was wearing something, and especially because it was Zander’s piece of clothing, he felt less nervous around him. It was as if Zander had given him a piece of himself to him. Wait— what? That was an odd way to explain it. Yet, it did feel like that.  
  


Zander felt instantly self conscious once he heard Caelum cough, holding himself back from holding his own body. Oh no, did one of them still not heal yet and he saw it? Did he look too skinny? Did he see his birthmark, did it look weird?! Of course he had to have seen it, it was a little over a small size, and it was on his lower stomach after all. It must've looked weird... He would've continued thinking about this, but his heart practically melted as his gaze fell upon Caelum wearing his sweater. Was he somehow accepted into heaven, or what? This was a cuter sight than one of a litter of kittens... Not only was his smile to die for, his eyes... god, how could you even describe such mesmerizing orbs as those?

For a moment, Zander forgot his words, forgot how to speak, even. When he finally found them, however, he stumbled upon them. "I, uh—it's no problem, really!" He grinned happily and chuckled briefly at his own awkwardness. Gosh, what a mess he's being. Maybe it was partially because he felt slightly more vulnerable, now that he had given his precious sweater of several years to someone who... felt even more precious to him... What is he thinking?! "It looks... really nice on you, actually..." he uttered seamlessly, as the thoughts in his head were just beginning to overflow. Oh my goodness, not now, not like this! Caelum might not be comfortable! He really messed up now, didn't he...? He felt his face burn again.  
  


Did Zander just... compliment... him? Did he really say the sweater looked nice on him?   
Surprised, Caelum blinked a few times before reacting. The way Zander had complimented him— it made his body warm up and his cheeks turn red. And he didn’t even know why he made him feel like that. It was this feeling he couldn’t explain. His words— they just felt so real. So genuine.   
Could he? Or was he simply ignoring the fact that... he was crushing on Zander? Was he?  
They had just met and, it was quite impossible for him to already have a crush on him, right? 

Caelum glanced over at Zander, his heart beating fast, trying to find his eyes. An intensely sweet smile appeared on his face as he met Zander’s glittering eyes, and for a split second he got lost in those gorgeous gems.   
“Thank you,” he then remembered that he needed to reply to Zander’s comment, and averted his gaze away from his eyes.   
Yep, he was definitely crushing on him. Caelum didn’t know whether that was a good thing or not, because he was sure Zander didn’t feel the same about him. No one had ever truly loved him anyway.   
However... he had to state that this felt different. Zander wasn’t just another crush. He was... more special than the ones he has had.  
  


The reaction that Caelum had, had resurrected Zander's heart, made it soar, just to have it melt again. He was definitely different from the crushes that he had—wait... So he really, really was into Caelum... Which could only mean that they won't even be able to have a proper friendship! Whenever he did confess before, it always resulted in the loss of a friend...—No, he mustn't lose another. He shouldn't assume such a thing of Caelum. He... trusted him. Besides, wasn't he acting similarly to Zander himself? It may just be a coincidence, but he always tried to look for the good in things. Something he always needs. And, Caelum... he couldn't find the good in him, when it was every part of him. ... That was cheesy Zander and you know it. Well, he couldn't help it!

That smile was going to be the death of him, oh my gosh. "No need to thank me, I was only telling you what I was thinking," he replied to Caelum's thanks, his voice full of admiration. Unconsciously, he leaned a bit more towards the other. He didn't notice the new closeness, but he did notice the increased warmness. It was a good kind of warm, he definitely wasn't complaining. "I also—I want to tell you more of what I'm thinking," he offered, in a way, without thinking. Zander! How is that being lowkey?! For a moment, he panicked. "I mean, if that's okay with you, of course! I don't want to force you to hear something that you don't want to hear." He added quickly, his face burning unbearably in embarrassment.  
  


Caelum was afraid he was going to go crazy once he noticed Zander slowly leaning more towards him. He didn’t mind, at all, but it made his knees feel weak and his breath fasten.   
He could feel Zander’s breath close to him, literally. Gosh— how bad he wanted to... no, no, no. No. Calm down Caelum, will you? His thoughts were racing, he was barely able to control them. The warmth of Zander’s body close to his own body was enjoyable to feel. The coziness of it brought comfort and peace to him in some kind of way... he liked it. 

“Oh! Uh— sure,” Caelum replied to Zander’s question if it was okay for him to speak his mind. It surprised him that he didn’t say that too enthusiastic, because it would’ve been quite creepy if he had. However, he couldn’t deny that he was urging to know Zander’s thoughts. He saw it as a way of getting to know him better, and at the moment here was nothing he wanted more than that.   
“In fact, I’d love to,” Caelum added with a soft smile, looking over at Zander. It was okay for him to fall in love with the person that sat next to him, right? It was love after all, and denying that you’re in love wasn’t something he’d consider a good thing.   
Yeah, he thought while he stared at Zander’s pretty, mesmerizing face, it’s okay to fall in love with him, even though we just met.  
  


The coziness of the close contact was very comforting to Zander. But on the inside, he was freaking out. The good kind of freak out where senpai noticed you, or some kind of freak out of disbelief. Caelum was being accepting of this, he was actually... Did that mean—no, he shouldn't get his hopes up! But, it was a little hard not to when Caelum looked back over to him, smiled, and told him he would love to hear him tell of his mind. It was a good thing that he didn't normally squeal, otherwise one would have slipped out. Caelum was already felt to be so perfect... if he was perfect, maybe he'd be perfect in the sense of reciprocation...? Maybe, but he shouldn't think about the reciprocating part too much. Thinking too much gets him nowhere.

Zander gulped gently. "Then I'd love... to tell you," he was doing this, he was actually doing this... he should just explain it slow, if this was actually going to happen. Too much and he may overwhelm Caelum. And he really didn't want to do that... There was a moment of silence, looking into his eyes before he spoke. "Caelum, you—" goodness, that name gave him butterflies, "since you first came in... to be honest, all that's been on my mind is you." He admitted nervously. Okay maybe that was too forward. But that may be a good start! "At first, it was in a worried way, about your health, and if you'd be okay... But, now, I can't help but think about how... how you make me... how you make me feel," he finally managed to sputter out. Gosh, this might've been a mistake. "I... you..."  
  


Overwhelmed by Zander speaking his mind to him, Caelum could not do anything but stare at the floor.   
He wasn’t feeling uncomfortable, or awkward and he didn’t think weird about Zander either.   
His heart was just... beating so incredibly fast right now. It was as if Zander had been speaking Caelum’s mind instead of his own. Because he felt exactly the same...  
He had to admit, that it was true bravery for Zander to tell him this. Because Caelum knew he would’ve never been able to just speak his mind. He admired it. 

Caelum’s gaze went to Zander, and as soon as his eyes found his, a smile appeared on his face from the bottom of his heart. He just couldn’t control it, Zander made his heart jump and his mouth smile in a mesmerizing way.   
“I— I can’t believe I have the courage to say this but—“ Caelum stuttered in a response to Zander’s thoughts, turning his body a bit towards Zander, ”I feel the exact same thing...”  
Yeah, that’s it. There was nothing more for him to say. Zander had already spoken Caelum’s mind while speaking his own. And it made him intensely happy. Happy in a way he had never experienced before.  
  


For a moment, Zander was... scared. Scared that he had said too much. Scared that he was too obvious in his words. Scared of... rejection. Sure, yes, he had been unreciprocated in the other instances where he had expressed his infatuation, but none like this. This was special, Caelum was special. Nothing could ever change that. He had awaited the rejection, awaited it, but... it never came. The refusal of his love did not come. All of his fears and doubts soon melted away as their eyes met. Oh, how Caelum looked at him, how he smiled, it was so... so amazing. Momentarily, Zander was lost in the other's voice, and it took him a second to comprehend what he had told him. "Yeah, I know it was probably confusing to—wait, what?" He had spoken over his second of thought, and cut himself off once he had finally realized Caelum's admittance. His heart fluttered.

"Really...? You do?" Zander breathed out, before excitedly turning his whole body towards Caelum, sitting cross-legged on the couch. Wait, he hadn't even said the consensus that he came to, with how he felt about him... did he already know, due to him experiencing the same thing...? Still, he suddenly felt immediately overwhelmed with this feeling... it was a feeling of happiness. So much happiness, more of which than he has experienced for as long as he could remember. "I got a little carried away, but, was I... was I being too obvious?" He asked Caelum curiously, with a lighthearted giggle following suit. He was leaning forward so he could still be near him, to still almost feel him next to him. Well, in front of him now. Caelum was... wow, Zander was definitely head over heels for him. So early on, too. He wasn't complaining. Then again, didn't Caelum say he was feeling the exact same as him?  
  


It was funny in a very cute way to see Zander being surprised by the fact that they shared the same feelings. He didn’t expect it... Caelum grinned shyly as he stared down at his hands at the way Zander didn’t expect him to say he felt the same. Gosh, it was so cute.   
Everything about him was cute— wait, was it okay for him to think such things? Was it still too early?  
But, he just couldn’t help it. His mind was occupied by his thoughts about Zander and his feelings towards him. So many thoughts, it really made him wonder whether it was fine to think those things.   
No, no, Caelum. It’s okay to admit it. You’re not going to deny things you know are true. You’re crushing on him, Cal, he thought while a dreamy smile appeared on his face, you’re crushing and you can’t deny that. 

“Y-yeah, really,” Caelum then quickly said as he remembered he had to reply to Zander, chuckling with a soft giggle. Gosh, Zander was so special. So different than others, so unique and so... mesmerizing. Every part of him seemed perfect to him, everything he said was perfectly put into words.   
“N-no, it wasn’t that obvious,” he then said as he turned towards the male next to him like he did, his eyes searching for Zander’s. “I guess I was too obvious, actually,” he added while scoffing at himself for it.   
Caelum then got lost into his shining, glittering eyes when he had found them and couldn’t stop smiling. He felt complete, he felt happy. Can this moment last forever, please, he begged in his mind, and his heart was still beating fast, and his thoughts were racing. But he didn’t care anymore, it was just him, and Zander. Ah, Zander. He was so sweet, so gentle.  
  


Goodness, if Caelum continued to be like this, Zander might lose all other function except to fawn over him. From his smile, his laughter, his cute, cute face... How could anyone ever have such a cute face? It was almost unfair... almost. He felt blessed to be able to gaze upon it, actually. If it weren't for that simple teleportation mistake—or whatever that was called—Zander actually... might not've been able to see it. If he didn't come over, especially early, like the lonely friend he was... He felt so... lucky. For literally the first time in his life, instead of over schoolwork, he felt lucky over... something else. Someone else, even. It was Caelum. He felt so lucky to even see him. Gosh, how he gave him butterflies. He had definitely fallen hard, that was for sure. It felt... like a nice type of fall. A really, really nice fall. Not one where he had crashed and burned, but... it was as if he was caught at the bottom, by gentle and sweet hands. Caelum' hands, to be specific. At least he thought. He hasn't actually felt what the other's hands felt like...

"No, you weren't," he retorted gently, as he shook his head briefly to Caelum's assumption of being too obvious. "If anything, you kind of kept me guessing..." he admitted, feeling like he could be honest with Caelum. To him, he felt so scared to be rejected, he had no idea what the other was thinking. And now, he knew, apparently they were thinking on the same page. That could also mean... "Does that mean... since we think the same way, do you..." Zander started out nervously. Very nervously, as he slowly reached his hand out towards Caelum. Looking into his warm and beautiful eyes was a good distraction for him, he could probably stare into them forever. "Do you also..." his hand hesitated for a moment, and he began to feel his face warm drastically. No, there's no hesitating now. You need to know, you need the verbal confirmation. Zander's thoughts tried to reassure him. This gave him the push of his hand to lay it on one of Caelum's. He really liked the feeling of his hand on the one he had a major crush on. It made his heart soar. "Li—... like..." he was suddenly having trouble finding his words, the hand to hand contact flustering him extremely. "Me...?" He finished, in a bit of a quiet mutter. He finally said it, thank goodness. It still felt like his heart was about to burst. He just needed to ask, to get it off his chest. It was such a burning desire to get the verbal answer. Caelum's eyes, tempting him... to do what? He wasn't sure.

At first, Caelum froze at the touch of Zander’s hand. He felt an electric shock that went through his body, that he stunned for a brief moment.   
Woah, he totally wasn’t expecting Zander to grab his hand so suddenly. However, he realized quite late the words he had asked as he had taken it. A crimson red blush appeared on his cheeks, as his eyes immediately looked into Zander’s.   
“I- I...” he wanted to say a million words but the only thing he did was stutter. 

“I do,” he then said after he had taken a deep breath, looking deeper into his eyes,”I like you, Zander.”   
Gosh, it felt great to say his name, even better to say... to say he liked him. Fancied him. Loved him...   
Caelum averted his gaze, feeing extremely nervous yet relieved and happy at the same time.   
Love at first sight... heh, he had never really believed in it but... heck, he was crushing hard on Zander. A special someone he had just met and he didn’t care about that at all. Love is complicated anyway.  
  


Maybe Zander was being too forward, maybe—... oh, no, that was definitely not too forward. His ears felt tickled to hear those words come out of Caelum's mouth, especially combined with that of his name. It was the most beautiful sound he's ever heard... Was this love? It was probably love. There was no way that all of this could come from a crush. Even if it was a hard crush. Caelum was just so... what was the word—perfect? Yeah... that sounds right... Zander sighed in a in a satisfied tone. This couldn't possibly get any better.

"I'm so, so glad..." he uttered. He really was, he was basically ecstatic at this point. He couldn't stop grinning as he kept his hand on Caelum's, giving it a gentle and loving squeeze. "So glad that we think the same way about each other," he added sweetly, and chuckled happily, just from his happiness spilling out. He's just so gleeful, nothing could ruin this, even if someone came in right now. And someone did. "Hey, we need to talk about getting his stuff from his home if we're gonna—" Ben announced as he floated in—yes, floated—but cut himself off upon seeing the two and smirked. "Am I... interrupting something?" He teased, but not in a bad way. Zander was a little distracted, and hardly payed heed to Ben. "Maybe a little, I dunno..." He told him distantly, in an almost dreamy tone.


	4. Let’s Get This Show On The Road, Please

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zander and Caelum fail at not being precious every two seconds while Ben comes back in to be the one to tell the news about Caelum having to stay.

"Hey, we need to talk about getting his stuff from his home if we're gonna—" Ben announced as he floated in—yes, floated—but cut himself off upon seeing the two and smirked. "Am I... interrupting something?" He teased, but not in a bad way. Zander was a little distracted, and hardly payed heed to Ben.

"Maybe a little, I dunno..." He told him distantly, in an almost dreamy tone.  
  


Caelum flashed a smile back at Zander when he squeezed his hand, feeling the butterflies that he gave him. The happiness that overwhelmed him, it made his mood more ecstatic than ever.   
Gosh— he couldn’t stop smiling, with someone like Zander sitting next to him. It made him nervous in a pleasant way. He loved this, them, being close next to each other, being able to feel Zander’s breath... He loved him. Yes, he really did. The way he cared about him, the way he smiled and giggled. Everything about Zander was perfect, he couldn’t demand for anything better. 

“I’m glad too—“ Caelum said after he had softly squeezed Zander’s hand too, quickly glancing at him with happy eyes. They made him forget everything else around him, as if there was nobody else around them, nothing else to think, worry or care about, but Zander.   
That feeling, however, faded quickly when he heard someone coming in. His first intention was to let go of Zander’s hand, but it turned out that it was okay for him for others to see them like this. He himself, on the other hand, felt slightly ashamed since the people here were complete strangers to him. Caelum’s gaze went down to the ground when the person asked if he was interrupting something, holding back a smile when Zander replied to the male. How he loved him already.  
  


Zander could pretty much care less about literally anything else going on around him that didn't have to do with Caelum. All of his senses have basically coned, all of his attention on him, in all of his cute, cute glory. Just the fact that he liked him back was an added bonus. A huge bonus, actually. He was in such a good mood... The best mood. Big mood—and oh gosh, how he squeezed his hand back...! Man, he could practically squeal! But, he'd be embarrassed if he did that, so he'll just... keep admiring Caelum. He probably looked really weird with his slightly dazed look while staring at him. Maybe it wasn't bad...? Hopefully... If he was uncomfortable with it, he would stop.

"To be honest, not the reaction I was expecting," Ben chuckled, moving a little closer two to the two. He still bore an amused look on his face, also finding the scene precious, like Luke did. "The others usually freak out," he added, as to explain why he was surprised. He only continued, since he assumed that Caelum was more aware of him than Zander was. "But, that's not what I'm here for. Caelum, right?" His attention turned to just Caelum, instead of the both of them. "Luke told me your name. The name's Ben," he introduced himself casually. "Luke also wanted me to be the one to break it to you that you have to stay here, with us." This had brought a bit more of Zander's attention, but he kept his gaze on Caelum. "Nothing too drastic, but we'll have to go back to your place like, now, if you want any of your stuff with you." He continued, trying to sound as friendly as possible. Well, Zander definitely did have another reason to come back here more often... Would Caelum be okay with it...?  
  


Stay here? Caelum wasn’t sure whether he actually wanted that or not. But it seemed like he didn’t have much of a choice. Why were they pushing him like that..? Was it because he knew their ‘secret’? A frown had appeared on his forehead as he looked up at the person that had come in, whose name apparently was Ben.   
He loosened his hand that was holding Zander’s as he realized he probably had to stay here with those complete strangers. And from what he had heard, Zander wasn’t living here. Which meant he would be alone, without him, with these people including the girl. He understood her reason for attacking him, yet she still made him shiver. 

“I— I need to stay here? W—why?” Caelum managed to ask Ben carefully, his eyes slightly narrowing at him. “I can just go home, and not tell anybody about...” he remained silent for a brief moment, biting his lip as the information they had shared with him echoed in his mind. “...this.”  
He didn’t dare to look at Zander right now, unsure what he would be thinking about him staying here. He probably thought it was safe for him to stay here, but Caelum was quite hesitant to. He didn’t really know these people and he had trust issues with strangers, especially after what had happened today.   
He just wanted to go home, and forget this ever happened. But he couldn’t, darn it, because he didn’t want to — and he couldn’t —forget Zander. From his lips, a soft sigh escaped as he realized that. How bad he wanted to forget everything and pretend it didn’t happen... he would never be able to because of Zander. It was impossible for him to forget someone as special as him.  
  


Zander popped out of his cutesy daydream almost as soon as he noticed Caelum become distraught. It actually was more when... he felt the hand holding his loosen it's lovely grip on him. Back into reality, he needed to take a moment to realize what was happening. Caelum. Anxious. Why did he look anxious? Ben was talking to him, so... why would they send Ben instead of Luke? Was Luke... busy? Caelum had spent more time with him, technically, and he seemed to have trusted him. Did Ben have better social skills or something? Yeah, he definitely needed a moment. Though, he really wanted to help relieve Caelum, in whatever way he could. He loved him, and he wanted him to be happy.

Ben frowned, almost winced, like it was a painful reaction for him to see. But, it was only brief, as he quickly replaced his expression with that of a friendly one. "Listen, I would let you return home if I could, I really would. I get that you wouldn't even want to be in the same building as Violet after what happened." He explained to Caelum, pausing for a brief moment to hint he was going to explain why he couldn't. "It's just that... Slendy, the boss man here, I know—everyone here knows—he wouldn't allow you to. He doesn't really go into detail as to why, but we know he doesn't exactly have ideas like that for no good reason." They usually just assumed why, but he wasn't planning on mentioning that. "He's still extremely iffy having Zander here off easy." He added, gesturing to Zander briefly, to emphasize.

Now, it clicked into Zander's mind, what was happening, and what to do. "I could stay here!" He blurted out suddenly, gaining the attention of Ben. "We could, ah—stay away from most of them, if you aren't comfortable with them yet, and I could stay with you for as... long as you want." He offered, keeping his gaze on Caelum.

Ben shrugged. "Fine with me," he then uttered.

As Ben explained the reason why he couldn’t let him go home, Caelum remained silent, biting his lip. He understood their situation, he really did. But he just needed some time alone to process the things that happened and the information he got today. It was a lot for him to process; it gave him this chaotic, nervous feeling. Unconsciously, he held Zander’s hand tighter, and the thought of him being close of him briefly made him feel comfortable again.   
Then, Zander offered to stay over, as well and Caelum’s heart made a giant leap. Was he... was he being serious? He softly gasped and squeezed his hand in amazement and surprise. Gosh... he really loved him. A wide smile appeared on his face, as he looked up at Zander, having a thankful expression on his face. 

“Yes! Yes, if you want to,” he said smiling at him, a happy feeling overwhelming him. “Thank you, Zander,” he added, sighing relieved. He saved him in the cutest way possible... He basically couldn’t thank him enough.   
He felt the urge to give Zander a tight hug, but he wasn’t sure if he would be comfortable with it.   
He looked away, down to the ground, ”can I hug you,” he quietly, shyly too. Gosh— why did he even ask that? He for sure made it awkward now... Who even asks if they can hug someone? An idiot, that is...

The fluttery feeling slowly came back to Zander when Caelum seemed to look happier. He was definitely the cutest when he's happy, Zander thought to himself. He is cute in every other situation, yes, but this emotion Zander felt suited him the most. He almost felt like he was going to melt when the feeling of Caelum's touch squeezed into his fingers. He wanted to feel that... all the time. It was such a nice feeling, he loved it so much, just as he loved Caelum. Is he going to be borderline obsessed with him at this point..? Probably. He could see that happening. But, he didn't... he didn't mind.

Zander lit up when Caelum accepted his offer of staying with him, and happily accepting it at that. He couldn't help but grin giddily at he sight. "No need to thank me," he uttered, still appreciating the thanks. Then, as he heard Caelum ask for permission to hug him, he couldn't help but feel even more giddy. "You're so cute—" he slipped out, and a blush rose to his face as soon as he realized what he had said. "I mean, yes, of course!" Zander beamed, but in a flustered way, and he quickly went and slipped his arms around Caelum, tightly and lovingly. "In fact, you have full reign to hug me whenever you want," he added, giggling.  
  


Caelum scolded himself for even asking such a stupid thing, what would Zander be thinking about him now? He would certainly think he was some kind of social awkward kid now. Which was kind of true but, he wasn’t awkward in a weird, disturbing way. And of course he wanted Zander to know that. He was failing at it, however.   
Wait— did Zander just say what Caelum thought he said? Did he say that... he found him cute? His heart jumped as he realized it was true. Gosh... he didn’t ruin his chances with him at all... dang, he loved Zander. 

Before being able to realize what Zander was doing, his arms already embraced him. With him being this close to him, Caelum couldn’t help it but to blush heavily as he felt the warmth of Zander’s body close to his own.   
He, too, surrounded him with his arms and held him tightly. Dang... he wished they could stay like this forever. He was feeling nervous yet intensely happy at the same time.  
Gosh, everything about Zander was so astonishingly perfect. Even his giggle filled Caelum with sincere happiness. He felt so lucky to be able to have met someone like him. He for sure would never let go of Zander.   
“Thank you,” he whispered softly and quietly as he held Zander a little bit tighter, making sure his embrace wasn’t too tight, though.   
Darn. He couldn’t stop smiling. Zander just made him feel like the happiest person on earth.

A warm and giddy feeling overwhelmed Zander as Caelum returned his loving embrace, just as loving. Being so close to him... it felt perfect. Divine. He loved the closeness, and the contact as well. He loved the contact a lot, actually... Trying to ignore the feeling of his heart pounding out of his chest, he had also tightened soft grip slightly, and nestled into Caelum's heat. By that, he just leaned into him a bit. Not enough to put a lot of weight on him, but enough to relish in the feeling. The feeling of intense love... he loved him so much!! Caelum just always makes him the happiest he could ever be...

"No, thank you," Zander replied softly and sweetly, placing emphasis on the word you. Nothing could possibly replace this moment. Oh, how he longed to not let go...

Ben watched as this all unfolded. He really didn't want to ruin it, he really didn't. These two were the purest beings in the entire realm, they definitely didn't deserve to be here. Yet, it was still this place that brought them together... "I'm sorry, I really don't want to break this up, but..." He finally spoke up, immediately feeling internally guilty. "Other than having Zander here, I want to help make here feel like as much as home as possible, so I could offer to make a quick packing trip to your home, and get anything that you would want to bring here." He offered, also explaining as to why he interrupted them. "We are a little pressed for time, though, so..." he trailed off, finding it hard to remove his eyes off of the two. This was the first time he's actually seen anything like them... such purity is a rare to none sight in this house.

Though there was one other exception.

Oh, how Caelum loved Zander being so close with him. He would more than love to stay like this forever if Ben didn’t mention that they needed to head to his house if he wanted to get anything from there to this place. Apparently they were in a hurry...   
Reluctantly he let go of Zander’s embrace, in the most careful and subtle way he could. He did totally not want him to think that he wanted to let go of him as soon as he could. Gosh, no. Never.   
He let out a soft and nervous laugh when their bodies separated from each other, feeling intensely relieved and elated by Zander. Everything about Zander made him feel ecstatic. Every part of him made Caelum feel safe. He loved it. He loved him. 

Caelum nodded to Ben in confirmation that he was ready to go get his stuff. It probably would not be a lot, but he’d get only the most essential things.   
He rose up from the couch, feeling empty because he and Zander weren’t as close anymore. Caelum wondered if he would ever be able to live without Zander again. Probably... not. He didn’t mind though. He didn’t mind at all. He would love, truly love, to stay with Zander forever. And he hoped Zander felt the same.   
“Alright,” Caelum then said, turning to Ben,”let’s go. Do you— do you know where my place is..?” His voice was careful, he didn’t want to sound dumb to Ben at all. That would leave a bad impression of him to Ben, and he definitely didn’t want that. 

Zander hated having to part from Caelum's hypnotizing embrace, but he knew that it was something that had to happen. He just hoped that Caelum felt the same way when it came to wanting to come back to that contact so much more, just from that experience. Caelum just made him... Gosh, it was so hard to put into words. He was so perfect, he just made him so happy... and that was just the broad side of it. It was such an incredible feeling... So much, but so much to take. To accept. Gladly accept for that matter... Zander stood up with Caelum. He wanted to go with them.

Ben grinned in an almost egotistical way at Caelum's question. He had to hold down laughter, as to not seem rude. "Of course," he answered confidently, "I'm the one that brought you guys here." He held his head high, but then lowered it a bit. "I'm also the one that brought them there..." he added, in a less confident, more guilty voice. "—But anyways!" He returned back to his normal self, floating around to the front of the couch so he could be directly in front of the two. But, once he did, he planted his feet on the floor. "I just have to remember how it... ah! Got it!" He claimed in remembrance.

”I'm coming too," Zander stated assertively, but then faltered a bit. "Is that okay?" He asked.

This made Ben chuckle. "Fine with me," he uttered, placing his hands on both of their shoulders. "This may dizzy you slightly," he warned, before closing his eyes. It was very sudden, an extremely brief rushing feeling of great intensity, and as soon as that happened, they found themselves back inside Caelum's apartment. Zander felt a little disoriented, but he only had to take a moment to regain himself.

If Ben was the one that brought Violet and Luke to Caelum’s place, did he do it on purpose?  
The question had popped up in his head once Ben told him that he was the one that ‘teleported’ them. He decided to ask him later, now was not the time for it. Caelum could hear the guilt in his voice, and he didn’t want to bother Ben with his question.   
As Zander stated that he’d go with them too, Caelum’s heart jumped and a smile appeared on his face. He gazed at him, into his shiny, gorgeous eyes that made his knees weaken briefly, having a thankful expression. 

Within a brief moment after Ben had laid his hands on both of their shoulders, they found themselves back in Caelum’s apartment.   
Caelum felt extremely dizzy for a moment, although he managed to orient himself quite easily.   
He turned to the two that he was with and pointed over his shoulder at the room that was behind him. “I’ll be in my bedroom, then,” he said, looking at Zander while hoping he’d offer to go with him. Caelum didn’t want to ask him, because he didn’t want to push Zander to do anything. Gosh, he would feel so bad if that was the case.  
  


Honestly, Zander would probably just bend to Caelum's every will every time he looked at him. Even if he didn't, he would, willingly. He would do anything for Caelum... anything and everything. Okay, whoa, try not to get motion sick there, Zander. Your heart was a little distracted, but your head is still recuperating, so give it a moment, will you? Just, looking at him... oh gosh. He was looking back. Those eyes... those beautiful, beautiful eyes. Wait! Snap out of it! He's going to go to his room! 

"Can I go with you?" Zander asked the other timidly, almost without thinking, his face beginning to feel warm again. Maybe he was being creepy. But he just... now, he couldn't imagine how he would feel with Caelum away from him. That's definitely weird. And slightly possessive? Oh gosh... he wasn't his property, he could do whatever he wants!

Ben looked between the two, rather questionably, and a little suggestively. He took his hands off of their shoulders. His eyebrows were raised and he had to hold himself back from laughing at his corrupted mind. These two were too pure, he couldn't be the one to ruin that. Though, going to live in the Slender Mansion... it may be a little hard to preserve it.

No way— did Zander literally just read his mind? It was as if he exactly knew what Caelum had hoped he would ask. It surprised him in the most positive and happy way possible. Caelum’s face lit up after Zander had asked him the question, and he nodded enthusiastically.   
“Y-yes!” He said energetic, before realizing it might have sounded a little bit too enthusiastic. Caelum blushed with a nervous smile and coughed to hide his shame. “Uh, I mean, yes, if you’d like to,” he then uttered as he averted his gaze. Gosh, he felt so ashamed now. Why did he have to react so childlish and overenthusiastic?

Caelum carefully looked back at Zander, hoping he didn’t mind his energetic enthusiasm. As soon as his eyes met Zander’s, he felt less ashamed already.   
What Zander did to him, it was magical. Just by looking at him, Caelum forgot about everything around him and his worries. Pure magical. He loved it. He felt complete with Zander. The moment they met Caelum had felt that the void inside him has been filled. He already knew he was never going to be able to live without Zander by his side. Was that weird to think? Probably. But he couldn’t help but think it, it was a feeling he had, a feeling he’d surely get addicted to. Gosh, Zander was playing with his heart in ways nobody had ever done... it was mesmerizing.  
  


A happy and giddy smile couldn't help but make its way into Zander's face when he saw Caelum's reaction. He giggled quietly. It was just so cute, so perfect... just like him. Wow, way to be cheesy, Zander. He couldn't help it, though! Cheesy words were the best words used to describe Caelum. It wasn't his fault that he made Zander so happy. Just by being near him, feeling his gaze, looking into his own... It felt like he was in some sort of fairytale. A fairytale of which he had no intention of leaving any time soon, or ever, if it meant leaving Caelum. Zander would vow never to leave him, if he wanted the same. It felt like an impossible choice by now.

"Alright, well, I'd love to," he admitted warmly, resulting in his cheeks heating up even further. But, he didn't really mind. Not right now. "You can, um—you can lead the way," he added, in a slightly more flustered way, and he chuckled at his own sputtering. He wanted... to be the best self that he possibly could be for Caelum, but he also wanted to be open, and honest with him. No facades, or masks when it came to the two of them. He wanted to love Caelum for him, which he already has been doing, and it was only fair to help the same for him. Still, he felt... more comfortable to be himself with him... oh, how he longed to know more about him. Maybe his room could help give him a closer look...


	5. In Here for the Last Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caelum brings Zander with him into his room while he packs (no funny business), seeing as it would probably very well be the last time they’ll be there. Yet they still couldn’t be any more enamored with each other.

Caelum nodded with a shy smile when Zander agreed to go with him to his room, excited to show him his more personal side. He wanted him to know more about himself, just like he wanted to know more about Zander. His weaknesses, to be able to comfort him and his joys, so that he knew how to make him happy. Because that is what mattered to him the most; Zander’s happiness.   
Caelum felt the urge to grab his hand and lead him to his room like that, but he figured that maybe Zander wouldn’t be comfortable with it. Thus, he smiled at him as a sign to follow him and walked towards his sleeping area. 

Caelum smiled nervously as he showed Zander his room. It felt as if he showed his entire life to him. His past, his personality, his thoughts. For a moment he felt ashamed, and he averted his gaze to the ground, blushing. He then giggled softly to hide his awkwardness.  
Come on, Cal, he told himself, don’t fee ashamed, it’s alright... Although he was trying to calm himself like that, it didn’t help at all. Why was he even nervous? He wanted Zander to know more about him, right? Heck yes, he wanted that. But the thing is, what if Zander didn’t like him the way he was when he knew more about him?  
  


It was hard for Zander to contain his excitement, which he felt slightly intrigued by. He shouldn't normally be so excited about seeing someone's room. Yes, it was Caelum's, who it was safe to say was the love of his life, but he never once thought in his life that seeing a bedroom could be so exciting. But it was, he thought as he followed Caelum in. It was really exciting, and he wasn't even let down. His eyes glanced over and analyzed various areas of the room, unconsciously trying to take in every detail. A warm smile slowly made its way onto his face as he did. 

"Your room is nice, I like it." Zander complimented simply, chuckling at his own nonchalance. Though, as he heard a giggle come from the male at his side, he couldn't help but grin giddily and blush lightly as he looked over to him. "But oh boy do you look gorgeous—" he slipped out, bit only after he did completely did he realize what he said. His cheeks had reddened much more, and his eyes widened briefly. "I mean—you do—I just—..." he spewed uncontrollably, having trouble finding the words. "Um... how much are you going to be bringing back?" He asked shyly, slowly returning his gaze in the same way. Man, the way he looks could be some form of stress reliever because jeez... it was almost a crime. It probably is one.  
  


How relieved Caelum felt when Zander complimented his room. He never had shown his bedroom to someone else before, which is why he was glad the first one who got to see it liked the area.   
“Thank you,” he thanked Zander with a grateful smile, glancing over at him with blushing cheeks. But he did not expect him to be looking at him too. A nervous feeling went through his body and he felt his face turning red and hot, although the smile on his face had not disappeared.   
And as if his face couldn’t turn redder than it already was, the male at his side made a comment that he probably didn’t mean to say but it still let Caelum feel delighted. Oh my, he was so sweet... how could someone be as sweet as Zander? It should be illegal. Luckily it wasn’t. 

A giggle escaped Caelum’s mouth when Zander struggled to find the right words after his comment. ”You do too,” he said with a beaming smile, then looking into his own room when the other mentioned the reason why they were her at all.   
“Yes, my stuff, right,” Caelum nodded, still grinning happily from what Zander had said,”I think I’m only going to bring some clothing and personal belongings...”  
He added as he quickly went to his dresser and started to grab some of his clothing, to put it into a bag he had laying in his room after.  
  


Zander could feel his heart constantly flutter effortlessly in his chest. Was it even supposed to happen constantly? He didn't know, but it felt right. For the first time, the things he was feeling felt right to him. Heck, even for the first time, he felt this intense about someone, and had that person feel the same way! It was so new, so bright, so vivid... and he greeted it. He greeted it with such open arms they'd almost fall out of his shoulder sockets, but thankfully he didn't. Caelum just had this... magnetizing draw about him that he could never possibly complain about. Oh, how thankful he was that it was Caelum... Caelum, who made him feel so bright, and happy. Caelum... gosh, even the name would give him butterflies! It was the best—the absolute best feeling...

Momentarily, Zander couldn't even think properly. Even his gaze was distracted. He just... he couldn't help it... Caelum's comeback almost slipped past his ears. Almost. Upon realizing what he had said and meant made even the tips of his ears went red, he was blushing so hard. Oh my goshhhh... he had drawn out in his mind. He would have spoken it out loud, but his lips hadn't found the proper movement for it. One of his hands went to them and covered them gently. He hummed softly, in acknowledgment of hearing Caelum, though he was trying to speak. "... Thank you..." He finally managed to utter after a bit, his gaze following Caelum along as packed his belongings. In addition he giggled, in a fairly shy manner. He felt... really flattered. It was deeply flustering, but it wasn't a bad sort of flustering.  
  


Caelum enjoyed Zander keeping him company as he himself was packing his stuff. The idea of his other being next to him, in the same room even, made him feel ecstatic and fill with warmth from the inside. He couldn’t help but smile as he zipped his bag that contained all of the things that he thought were necessary to bring with him to... the place he’d be staying for who knows how long.   
Caelum stood up and hung the bag over his shoulder as he turned to Zander, blushing as he noticed he had been watching him packing. It didn’t make Caelum uncomfortable, not at all. In fact, he liked it and thought it was cute of him that Zander had been waiting patiently for him. He was really thankful for being able to be with someone like Zander.   
He smiled at the handsome young man in front of him and then realized how lucky he was to be able to look into such stunning eyes, that he was able to have someone like Zander to love. After all, how could he not?

“Alright,” Caelum uttered as he took a breath before continuing to speak,”I guess that’s all... I’m ready.” He gazed into the person’s eyes that was in front of him and an overwhelming feeling of happiness went straight through his body. Gosh, Zander made him feel so complete. He was so different from friends, lovers, he had had before. In a very positive way. When Caelum was with him, he wasn’t afraid to speak his mind. He dared to be himself around his other because he knew Zander wouldn’t judge him. It made Caelum have a calm, relieving feeling the entire time he was around him. And for sure it could go on like this, but no words could actually explain or tell how much he loved him. He was different from everyone in the best, most positive way possible. Being himself, being helpful, being cute, being handsome, even being here with Caelum himself made this all perfect. Every moment together was perfect. Zander mesmerizingly perfect and Caelum couldn’t help but fall for him. Hard.  
  


Zander waited patiently for Caelum to pack, honestly feeling as giddy as could be. They were going to be staying together! How lucky he felt. Being able to be with someone as seemingly amazing in every way as he was, it almost seemed like a dream. The weirdest dream at that. His mind wandered just a bit as he waited, as did his gaze, possibly to analyze more of his room. He liked being able to see into Caelum's private life like this, in a not creepy way, with him being alright with it as well. If only they had met under different circumstances... Not only that, he hated that harm was done upon him for this to happen, let alone by a friend. He hoped that maybe... maybe he could show Caelum isn't as bad as whatever he saw before. Then he wouldn't be afraid to live there, albeit they can be fairly intimidating when they need to be.

Zander's gaze immediately returned to Caelum once he spoke up, snapping out of his thoughts in the process. It was a little hard to ignore a pretty voice like that... He beamed at his other, and suddenly an overwhelming urge came over him, and it just as quickly made him feel fairly flustered and a blush brightly brandished his cheeks. What was...? Oh... That. Oh my. "Great!" He spoke out in a vain attempt to hide his flustered behavior, and saw no other way to stop it than to confront it. "Would you, ah—would you..." He tried nervously, as his eyes took a sudden interest in the floor. "Would you like to... hold hands on the way out?" Zander finally finished, keeping his interest in the bedroom floor. Maybe Caelum didn't want to...? If he didn't, Zander wouldn't mind, but he strongly hoped that he wouldn't find him to be weird for asking. Just as long as he knew he could say no. The last thing he wanted to do is make him uncomfortable.  
  


Caelum couldn’t help but smile widely as he noticed Zander’s cheeks being covered with a red color. It was so... cute and precious when he blushed, he thought ecstatically as he looked briefly to the floor before continuing to look into his other’s eyes.   
For a moment, a very short one, Caelum realized what was going to happen next. He and Zander would be staying together... for who knows how long. Each day they would see each other, talk to each other and... gosh... the idea of it filled him with joy and excitement.   
Frankly, he even looked forward to it, despite what had happened with Violet and Luke. He felt better about it now that he knew Zander would be with him all the time. 

He snapped out of his mind once Zander offered to hold hands the way out. Caelum’s heart jumped higher than ever in his chest and now it was his turn to blush heavily. Was this real? Was Zander actually asking if he wanted to hold each other’s hand..? He almost couldn’t believe it, but it was true...   
Caelum’s gaze went to the floor, just like Zander’s, as he nodded,”I- I’d love to.”   
He smiled a beaming smile once he accepted Zander’s offer. Nervously but still happily he brought his hand to Zander’s, his heart beating in his chest. He desperately hoped he was doing it right... Caelum surely didn’t want to make it awkward for Zander in any way.  
Still— the warming touch of his hand felt magical. It filled him with happiness in the best way possible. He loved it...  
“L- Like this..?” He chuckled to hide his nervousness, yet he could still feel his cheeks were burning red.  
  


Zander found that he could no longer break his gaze from the male in front of him. Seeing Caelum’s reactions and body language... it filled him with a feeling similar to joy. He was just so, so cute. How was it even humanly possible to be this adorable?! He wasn’t complaining, it just... it made him feel like his heart was going to burst out of his chest. Like his smile was going to end up permanent. Like his thoughts were never going to be clear again. And it was nice. For the first time in his life, he enjoyed a change such as this. For the first time, he felt confident about something revolving around another. He’s confident that he will keep Caelum safe in the Slender Mansion. And his friends will help.

The feeling of Caelum’s warm hand on his certainly didn’t help any lessening of his blush. His ears would most likely be red too, but thankfully they were covered by his hair. Once Caelum asked in confirmation, Zander couldn’t find his voice for a brief moment. For another, he took it to collect himself. He nodded, almost vigorously. He felt nervous. Of course he was, this was practically the first time he’s held hands with someone. And not to mention the person he was holding hands with... he didn’t want to ruin this moment. Not at all. “Yeah, I—I think so,” he, too, giggled briefly. He then gazed at Caelum, full of love and admiration, which was something he couldn’t help, or hide. Zander’s eyes were practically sparkling. “Ah—shall we go?” He gestured briefly to the door, but didn’t break his gaze from Caelum. What was up with him...?

Has he ever felt this way about someone before in his life? Certainly not, otherwise all of the feelings that Zander gave him wouldn’t be unknown and new to him. Unknown, yet unbelievable nice. He already felt addicted to the way Zander made his heart jump, his cheeks blush and his body shake. 

And oh my, his soft giggling... It was the cutest and most precious thing Caelum had ever heard before in his life. He couldn’t help it when a blush appeared on his face when Zander softly laughed, replying to his insecure question if he was doing it right. He felt incredibly nervous to hold hands with him like this, but at the same time he enjoyed it, too. The warmth of his hand, and him being so close to him; it made Caelum forget what was truly happening and the real reason why they were here.

“Oh— yeah, of course,” Caelum then replied to his question, noticing that Zander was looking at him. He couldn’t help but smile with blushing cheeks when he noticed. How cute...   
Was being this cute even legal? It should be illegal, he thought, although he was glad it wasn’t actually illegal to be so cute. He scoffed at his own dumb thoughts before he grabbed his bag in his other hand. The two then together started walk back to the living area where Ben would be waiting for them.   
It felt weird to be leaving this place for who knows how long. He had made this place his home and it was the only thing where he didn’t feel awkward or being watched. Yes, of course he would like to stay here and forget everything happened... but he wouldn’t be with Zander and he wouldn’t have met Zander either if it didn’t happen. So honestly, it was a good thing he had to leave his apartment.


	6. An Awkward Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben, Caelum, and Zander have returned to the Slender Mansion with Caelum’s packed items, and Luke and Violet just so happen to be there to see their return.

Oh, it was just so cute when Caelum blushed, Zander thought. He just couldn’t get enough of him. That was probably weird... but he couldn’t help it. So what if he was weird. Caelum was alright with him, and that was all that mattered. He sighed in relief upon Caelum’s answer. “Good,” he uttered softly, a smile just as soft forming on his face. All he needed to say, really. This was going to be... a new life for them, basically. All has changed.

They walked out of Caelum’s room together, meeting back with Ben who had been standing and waiting for them. A grin couldn’t help but crack open on his face upon seeing them holding hands while walking out together. “Aw, you two are too cute,” he commented, causing Zander to smile even more and chuckle nervously. The grin on Ben’s face stayed momentarily until it turned melancholy, as he placed his hand on Zander’s shoulder. “It makes me feel even worse about making you two stay,” Ben added before they were brought back to the Slender Mansion. However, it was different.

“Come on Violet, y-you know you can’t stay—“ That was Luke’s voice. He cut himself off after noticing the three that arrived. Violet stood next to him, frozen.

A wide smile appeared on Caelum’s face at the comment Ben had made when they met back with him. From the corners of his eyes, he noticed that Zander was smiling too, something that gave him butterflies throughout his entire body.  
He felt happy to hear someone say he looked cute with someone. Nobody ever really told him that. They either gave him weird, disgusting looks or tried to avoid him as much as they could. 

But no, Ben actually liked to see Zander and him together. And it made it fill with joy and relief. 

When Ben had brought them back to the Slender Mansion, it didn’t really feel like coming home or something like that to Caelum. He wanted it to feel like home, though, because who knew for how long he’d be staying here. And if he didn’t feel comfortable here, that could be a problem.   
He glanced over at his hand that was held by Zander’s, and the sight of their hands holding onto each other tightly, gave him confidence. Without Zander, he would be completely lost. No words could explain how grateful he was that he was here.   
Caelum then realized that he was hearing someone talk. Luke, to be precise. What did he mean when he said that Violet couldn’t stay here..?

Upon hearing Luke’s voice and seeing the presence of the previously mentioned duo at the top of the stairs, Zander’s eyes widened. Not because he was worried for his safety, not at all. They were his friends, and he knew they wouldn’t hurt them. He was worried for how Caelum would react. He assumed the other would be uncomfortable in Violet’s presence.

Ben looked at Luke and Violet, then back at Zander And Caelum. Then back at Luke and Violet. Then back again at Zander and Caelum. Nonchalantly, he slipped his hands off of Zander’s shoulder. “Okay, I’m gonna take a nap for like, three days.” He told them equally as nonchalantly. “You guys handle this on your own. Later,” he added, waving at them simply before teleporting away.

“Wait, no, Ben, take me with you—“ Violet attempted to escape, her voice sounding almost dead, but Luke grabbed her by the arm before she could go anywhere.

”No you don’t,” he reprimanded. “It would be better to get this settled before Slenderman g-gets back.”

Caelum’s gaze went up, to the duo standing at the top of the stairs. It felt weird that the girl who had wanted to murder him before was standing over there. Although he knew that she herself didn’t actually intended to do it, Caelum still was unconsciously cautious around her. But, honestly, he didn’t want to feel like that when he was with Violet. He wanted to trust her, and be more comfortable around her. But it was quite hard to do.   
Caelum promised himself that he would do his best to gain more trust in Violet. He was certain that, eventually, he would be able to feel comfortable around her. Maybe even befriend her, hopefully. 

After Ben teleported away in front of their eyes, Caelum looked at Luke, who had mentioned Slenderman.   
“So uhh- Slenderman, huh?” he said, his voice shaking a bit. He wasn’t quite sure what to think of this Slenderman. It was the fear of the unknown that creeped him out. Without realizing it himself, Caelum held a bit tighter unto Zander, whose hand he was still holding, thank God. It gave him this feeling of safety. He was really, really glad that Zander was here with him. He wished he could somehow tell him that...  
  


Violet’s head dropped down to face the floor. From what could be seen, she appeared to have a deep grimace on her face. She wasn’t prepared, she didn’t get time to compose her outside self. The only one she wanted people to see. Luke knew of this, so he continued to be the leading voice of the two, returning his focus to Caelum and Zander. He flashed a small smile to them. “R-right,” he took note of the shakiness in Caelum’s voice. “He’s actually not all that bad.” He attempted to reassure the other male, finally starting his way down the stairs. His hand was still holding Violet’s arm tightly, which caused her to reluctantly follow him down. She adjusted her mask, making it cover the entirety of her face, as to not be seen.

Zander nodded in agreement to aid in reassuring, giving Caelum’s hand a quick but soft squeeze. “Yeah,” he started, “I’ve met him before, and he’s pretty hospitable, given already having to look after a fair of individuals like Violet and Luke here.” He motioned briefly to the two while mentioning them, before they had reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Actually, he—he protects us,” Luke gently corrected. “He’s been protecting you.”

Hearing this made Zander’s eyebrows raise. He didn’t know that. He thought it was just Shade, and partially Violet and Luke. Just how many people were protecting him??? “Oh,” he uttered simply.

“The point is, you have nothing to worry about,” Luke started again, turning his attention back to Caelum. “If an-anything, Violet and I should be the ones worried.” He gestured to himself, chuckling just a bit.

The soft squeeze Zander gave him, made Caelum’s heart jump for a moment. As small as that gesture might have seemed to others, Zander did succeed to make him feel a bit better about the Slenderman creature. Oh gosh, he had so many questions about everything, yet he didn’t dare to ask, afraid to annoy the others. He decided to just wait and see what would happen and who this Slenderman actually was. Maybe he could also ask Zander, since he was the only one here he felt completely comfortable with. 

After Caelum had given Luke a thankful smile for explaining it, he actually wanted to ask one more question; he desperately needed to know what this Slenderman would think of him. Would he kick him out? Would he do something to him? Caelum knew Luke had told him he had nothing to worry about, but maybe Slenderman didn’t like intruders?  
He tried to find the courage to ask his question, but instead, he shut his mouth and let his gaze fall down to the ground. Caelum really did not want to bother them with any more questions.

As if a switch had been flipped, Violet had perked up immediately and yanked her arm out of Luke’s grasp. “Well!” She started in an energized tone, an exact opposite of her previous tone, as she placed her hands on her hips animatedly. Zander was momentarily taken aback at her sudden burst of energy, but he was able to quickly regain his composure with a bit of a smile forming on his face. “Really sorry we got off on the wrong foot earlier. I wasn’t really myself, but of course, that shouldn’t excuse my actions.” She explained, her shoulders drooping only briefly at her last statement before elevated again to their enthusiastic state.

Luke had expected her sudden mood change, so he wasn’t as fazed as Zander. “We should probably get you two settled into your room, though. Wouldn’t want any of the other Creeps to... creep you out accidentally, y’know?” She continued, letting out a small chuckle as Luke gave her a look. “They just don’t look or dress like average people, that’s all I’m meaning.” She explained, raising her hands up defensively.

“A-aside from that,” Luke started again, turning his attention back to Caelum. “If you have any questions, please, don’t hesitate to ask us. Even you, Zander. We—we want you both to feel comfortable here.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Caelum told Violet when she apologized once more for what had happened, tilting his head a bit as he slightly smiled. “Really- Please, don’t feel bad.”  
He was still here. Alive and well. Breathing. And being alive and not killed was the most important above all. Plus... if everything hadn’t happened... he wouldn’t be holding hands with the very person next to him, who was both handsome and adorable; heck, if nothing had happened today, he would be strumming songs on his guitar in the park right now just like every other day in his life. No, this was so much better than his nerve-racking and boring daily life. 

“Sounds good,” Caelum then replied to Violet when she proposed to get settled in their room.   
He wasn’t going to say it out loud, but he was feeling excited to share a room with Zander. If, of course, everyone would be fine with it.   
He then turned to Luke, nodding his head,”I will, but I don’t think my mind can process any more information at the moment.” And as he spoke, Caelum realized how tired he was. His head hurt, his eyes felt heavy. It didn’t surprise him at all. Today had been chaotic, weird, exciting in some way, and very, very interesting. He had a feeling that all that had happened today, was just the beginning of something way more chaotic, weird and interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a little bit more after this, but it didn’t seem like a good pausing point for the time being. But do not worry! They will return! And thank you so so much for reading!! 💛💛💛


End file.
